Fifteenmile Herd Management Area

The first recorded wild horse roundup on federal rangeland took place in October 1938 on lands now adminstered by the Worland Field Office. The Fifteenmile Herd Management Area (HMA) was established in 1985 under the direction of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

The HMA is located in the upper Fifteenmile Creek watershed approximately 30 miles northwest of Worland. It encompasses over 83,000 acres of mostly public land with some intermingled state and private lands.

The HMA ranges from rolling hills to rugged canyons and badlands. The country is semi-arid with hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation averages eight inches. Sudden cloudbursts erode the area's badlands, turning the streams muddy reddish-brown. Part of the HMA lies in the Bobcat Draw Wilderness Study Area, with its colorful and intricately-carved formations known as hoodoos, goblins, mushrooms, and castles.

Bays and sorrels, along with some grays, roans and pintos, roam the range. BLM administers a wild horse population of 70 to 160 adults in the HMA. Counting foals and yearlings, there may be as many as 270 horses to view and enjoy. Periodically, excess horses are gathered and placed in the Adopt-a-Horse program.

The secondary roads on the map include both improved and unimproved roads, and some may be impassable or lack legal access. Don't rely on the map for navigation off paved highways. Inquire locally as to road and weather conditions, or stop by the BLM office in Worland or Cody to purchase landownership maps and to obtain access information. A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, and you should carry food, water and other emergency supplies.

Take your binoculars and telephoto lens and enjoy the horses from a responsible distance. Wild horses are shy and secretive animals that do not tolerate the presence of humans. At certain times of the year, such as winter or foaling season, any additional stress can be very harmful to the animals.